Tuesday 19 October 2010

Threads Of Life

By Betty Bergstrom

When Wynne, my daughter, asked me if I would go with her to a display at one of our local hospitals called Threads of Life, my first thought was that I have better things to do on a Sunday afternoon.

And then I saw the look on her face and realized this was something important to her.

Wynne's husband, Mike, died unexpectedly over two years ago from a massive heart attack, at the age of 44. I was sitting across the room from her when the doctor and chaplain came into the hospital waiting room filled with Mike's relatives and gave her that terrible news.

I'll always remember the look on her face. And then, she spoke up almost immediately saying, "I would like Mike to be a donor."

It became most comforting to her when she received thank-you notes from the donor programs telling her that many people were helped. Because she and Mike had made this decision, someone could see again and others were helped with skin and bone grafts.

Wynne and I walked into the Providence Hospital event to discover an overflow crowd. We signed in and were given a ribbon that said, "Donor Family." We saw other ribbons that said, "Donor" and "Recipient."

I was amazed at the upbeat feeling in the air. There was a short program where two recipients talked about receiving their new hearts. We all laughed when one person said that her first thought when the hospital called and told her they had a new heart for her, was "I have to wash my hair," as she knew it would be some time before she would be able to do that.

We were amazed when a young woman told how she received her new heart and ten months later she had a baby -- something she thought would never happen. And we all fought back a tear when she also told how several months before her own transplant her mother had died and had become a donor.

And then, they unveiled the "Threads of Life". A quilt. A quilt of 7-inch squares all lovingly designed to honor special people. Families of transplant donors and recipients had made these squares. Some said "Thank You." One had a picture of a very young girl with the dates of her birth and death. Some were embroidered, another was a patchwork of different materials. All were beautifully done. I stood in awe of the love that quilt generated throughout the whole room. Donor families took pictures. Recipients smiled. Some of us wiped away tears.

This "Threads of Life" quilt will be on display at the hospital for a short period of time and then it will be carefully packed and FedExed to the next location. It is an emotional reminder of the donors who have saved or enhanced hundreds of lives. They've started a new quilt and Wynne is already planning a design for a square honoring Mike. I hope she lets me put a couple of stitches in it.

We left that room smiling, with a donated bouquet of tulips in our hands, a small green painted ribbon pin that we will wear and a warm spot in our hearts. I've made sure that my family knows of my wish to be a donor. Who knows, maybe some part of me may some day help one of those thousands of Americans who are on organ and transplant waiting lists.

Are you a donor? You, too, could leave your loved ones knowing that a part of you is still making a difference.

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Books Sold - 6 Nov 2011 to 31 May 2012

Some of you have asked me for my total number of books sold to evaluate KDP Select so here it is. Bear in mind, that results will vary based on genre and author. Good luck and remember, Keep Moving Forward.

Total - 120,836

1. Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out
Amazon Kindle - 42,559
Paperback -
Smashwords -

2. Frequent Traveller
Amazon Kindle - 35277
Paperback -
Smashwords -

3. Dora's Essentials - Books, Blogs & Smiles 1
Amazon Kindle - 462
Smashwords -

4. Mirror Me Martha (Short Story)
Amazon Kindle - 281
Smashwords -

5. Drive On Hope (Short Story)
Amazon Kindle - 190
Smashwords -

6. Blog-A-Licious Directory 2012
Amazon Kindle - 1
Smashwords -

7. Pandora's Reading Room 1
Amazon Kindle -
Paperback - N/A

8. The Cat That Barked (Short Story)
Amazon Kindle -

9. Dora's Essentials - Examining Anxiety
Amazon Kindle -

10. Dora's Essentials - Books, Blogs & Smiles 2
Amazon Kindle -

11. Elevenses from Around the World
Amazon Kindle -

12. Genetically Modified Foods vs. Sustainability
Amazon Kindle -

Blog-A-Licius - Sherbet Blossom

SherbetBlossom

Blog-A-Licious

Dealightfully Frugal

Blog-A-Licious - The Few, The Proud, The Wife

Blog-A-Licious

My Soul Slippers

Blog-A-Licous - Textbook Mommy

Blog-A-Licious - Blue Frogs Legs

Blog-A-Licious - Pretty All True

Pretty All True

Blog-A-Licious - tbaoo

tbaoo

Blog-A-Licious

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Blog-A-Licious - The Invisible Art

Blog-A-Licious - Rediscovering Domesticity

Rediscovering Domesticity

Blog-A-Licious - Quiver Full

Blog-A-Licious - Cori's Big Mouth

Blog-A-Licious - Great Fun

Greatfun4kids

Blog-A-Licious - Busy Wife

Blog-A-Licious - Steps To Happiness

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Blog-A-Licious - Toby & Max


Blog-A-Licious - Amelie

Raising Amelie

Blog-A-Licious - Peas In A Pod

Blog-A-Licious - Riley

Blognostics - Poetry

BlogNostics

My Awards - September 2010

My Awards - September 2010
Awarded By Jo Frances

My Awards - May 2011

My Awards - May 2011
Awarded By Alejandro Guzman

My Awards - May 2011

My Awards - May 2011
Awarded by Kriti Mukherjee

My Awards - April 2011

My Awards - April 2011
Awarded By Roy Durham

My Awards - June 2011

My Awards - June 2011
Awarded By Sulekha Rawat

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